44622 (2024). Hūhana Lyndon to the Associate Minister of Health

44622 (2024). Hūhana Lyndon to the Associate Minister of Health: Have any of the Heated Tobacco Products, Snus, Nicotine pouches, or any other nicotine products she wishes to introduce to the New Zealand market been approved by Medsafe?

Hon Casey Costello: Heated tobacco products (also known as smokeless tobacco products) are regulated by the Ministry of Health. Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are considered a ‘Notifiable Product’ under the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990. While companies may be able to apply for approval from Medsafe to sell HTPs as an approved medicine, they are already legal for sale in New Zealand as a general consumer product. I am advised that Medsafe has received no applications seeking approval as a medicine for any nicotine containing product (including HTPs) since 2019. In addition, they have confirmed that no applications have been received for approval of a nicotine containing product as a psychoactive substance (where the intended use is for recreational purposes) since the Psychoactive Substances regulatory regime began.